At 3:15, while students pack their bags and head to sports, home, or stay at the Rounders to chat, Sixth Former Ahijah Goins has already begun mental and physical preparation for his track meets. For him, race day does not start when the starting pistol goes off: it starts with a routine that he has developed over his thirteen years of running track.
“It starts the night before. I try to get a lot more sleep because I know I’ll have school the next day,” Goins said. “I also eat light on meet days, and I stay away from heavier foods because running takes a big toll.”
On meet days, Goins prioritizes energy conservation.
“I try to stay relaxed throughout the day. Overthinking things actually makes you more tired than you think, so while I still do all my assignments, I try not to walk around too much and waste mental and physical energy,” Goins said.
By 4:00 p.m., vans make their way to the Ott Center for Track and Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Goins prioritizes relaxation.
“When we get there, sometimes I joke around with my friends to forget about the race. That helps because I usually get quiet before races and think about them a lot. Other times, I try to take my mind off it on the way to the track or while waiting. I think about it, but not too deeply,” Goins said.
When warming up for the upcoming race, Goins keeps his mind focused with music and his body warm with exercise.
“Music is essential—I listen to it all the way until I have to take my AirPods out to check in. I mostly do dynamic drills because there’s less time, but I keep my headphones in as long as possible to stay relaxed,” Goins said.
In no time, Goins lines up on the starting block, narrowing his focus.
“It feels like a movie. Once I’m on the line, the only thing I hear is the starter saying ‘set’ and then the gun. My heart is pumping like crazy. I focus on staying relaxed, doing forceful exhales to control my body. As soon as the gun goes off, all the nerves leave, and I’m in the race,” Goins said.
To the audience, the race is brief, often finished in under a matter of minutes. But for Goins, it is an uphill battle of pushing his body to the limits.
“I would tell myself that I’m more tired than I actually am,” Goins said. “But as I got older, I realized that your body’s gonna get tired. Everybody’s tired, but there are only a few moments where you really have to stop, and that’s like if you’re injured. But most of the time, you can push through it just with mental toughness.”
“If it doesn’t go well, it’s harder mentally, especially if I didn’t get the result I wanted. Most of the time, though, I feel good afterward.” – Ahijah Goins ’26
Regardless of the race outcome, Goins feels relieved.
“If I set a personal best, I feel great and forget how much my legs hurt. If it doesn’t go well, it’s harder mentally, especially if I didn’t get the result I wanted. Most of the time, though, I feel good afterward. There’s excitement, but also relief, ” Goins said.
After the race, Goins cools down and cheers for the rest of his team. At home, he takes ice baths and starts his preparation for another race day, if necessary.
Goin’s routine may start the night before, but his training has been non-stop even during his fall off-season. When the Gridiron Fords hammer through drills, and cross-country athletes circle the campus, Goins trains with Head Track and Field Coach Mr. James Hawkins on the Spencer Stadium track.
Their partnership has spanned over a decade.
“I was at the YMCA with my parents one day. My track coach now was at the Y training his kids. And like he asked me where my parents were because I was just running around the track having fun. And then, as much as I can remember, I joined his club team that day,” Goins said.
At the peak of his sophomore year, Goins would develop a nagging foot injury. Despite this, he would run through the injury and his biggest race: the Nike Indoor National Championships.
“I had the best race of my life. But my foot really started to bother me, and I got it checked out, and they said I couldn’t run for the whole rest of the season. And like at first, I didn’t really know how to process that information because I just got to the best point in my track career,” Goins said.
“I was often asking why it had to happen to me, but I guess in the end it taught me perseverance.” – Ahijah Goins ’26
A stress fracture on his third metatarsal would impede the remainder of Goins’ track season. Instead of lining up on the starting blocks and sprinting at the whistles, Goins had to watch from the sidelines.
“I had to watch all my friends and my teammates go to the meets and run the stuff that I wanted to do. So it was definitely mentally challenging,” Goins said. “I was often asking why it had to happen to me, but I guess in the end it taught me perseverance.”
Despite not being able to participate on the field, Goins would still help by actively contributing to the track community
“I learned how to take pictures at the track meets,” Goins said.
While no one is immune to bad results or injuries, Goins believes every race and practice needs to be met with full intensity.
“Every time I step on the track, I gotta prove myself week in, week out,” Goins said. “Sometimes races don’t go your way, but there are a lot of races, so you gotta keep your head up because you will have another chance at it.”